Great Shona Sculpture

My New Sculpture

I just had to tell everyone about this new sculpture that I’ve put in the garden. The idea came to me when I visited a friend’s house and we went into her garden.

My friend, Anna, has a wonderful garden, well kept with a wide variety of colorful flowers. And there in the center of the garden was an ornate fountain. Cast in a mod-roc material in an abstract form. It looked marvelous. There’s something about a fountain that brings a sense of tranquility to an outdoor space. And most people find the gentle trickle of water quite soothing.

That visit planted a seed in my head. I couldn’t have a fountain for the location I had in mind. That would have involved plumbing and unsightly pipes. But I wanted something sculptural. So I started researching.

African Sculpture

I stumbled into something called Shona Sculpture. Which are pieces carved from stone and rock. You can see some good examples here http://africanshonasculpture.com It’s also a good place to purchase.

What I saw, blew me away. These are African sculptures made by local black artists in Zimbabwe. There are all sorts of subject matter and all sorts of sizes.

The more I saw the more I was able to define what I wanted. The most wonderful thing about these sculptures is their African roots. They have their own spirit and they look like they belong in the natural outdoors in a garden setting.

I choose an abstract family group, in black shiny stone. Parts are left as rough stone to give a different texture both visually and tactilely. It give a sense of belonging every time I see it. It anchors the family into its environment. I like to feel it bonds my family to the house and makes us all one.

Being stone, they’re quite happy to stay outside all year round. They’re not affected by the wind rain or snow.